Low-income families to receive $14,045,921 in energy assistance

Rob Juteau

Monday

Feb 25, 2008 at 12:01 AMFeb 25, 2008 at 9:52 AM

President George W. Bush has approved the release of $40 million from the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) contingency fund, $14,045,921 of which will assist low-income New York families with heating assistance for the winter months.

President George W. Bush has approved the release of $40 million from the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) contingency fund, $14,045,921 of which will assist low-income New York families with heating assistance for the winter months.

“Winter weather can have a devastating impact on low-income families,” said U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt. “With these funds, the Bush administration will help ensure that families in New York are warm during the coldest time of the year.”

LIHEAP helps eligible low-income families and elderly people pay for home cooling and heating in summer and winter months. Every year, more than five million low-income households across the country receive assistance under LIHEAP. The money released Friday was directed to 11 states with at least 20 percent of their low-income households using fuel oil as their primary heating source, as the Energy Information Administration predicts that average home heating oil expenditures this winter will exceed last year’s levels by 34 percent. At $14,045,921, New York’s share represents the largest portion of the overall sum. The funds come on top of the $237 million in LIHEAP assistance New York has already received.

“This announcement highlights the Bush administration’s continued commitment to protecting America’s most vulnerable citizens,” said Acting Assistant Secretary for Children and Families Daniel Schneider. “These funds will help many New York residents stay warm.”

U.S. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton said the $40 million represents a small fraction of the $586 million available at the president’s discretion as part of the contingency fund, and called on President Bush to release the remaining funds to provide needed help to struggling families.

Clinton, D-NY, joined with Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont in calling for the administration to add an additional $800 million to LIHEAP funding for fiscal year 2008. She underscored that the total $2.57 billion appropriated for LIHEAP for 2008 falls far short of the $5.1 billion authorized for the program, and urged the president to work with Congress to fully fund the program for fiscal year 2009.

“While these much needed funds will help our most vulnerable families in New York and across the country pay skyrocketing heating bills, this funding does not go nearly far enough to meet the need. I reiterate my call on the president to release the balance of the LIHEAP contingency fund and to fully fund LIHEAP this year and in the future so that more struggling families have access to this critical assistance,” said Clinton.

U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer said that the boost will help New Yorkers, but pledged to keep working for an even larger release of funds in the coming weeks. “It’s not all we need, but it’s sure going to help a lot of people in need,” said Schumer, D-NY. “This extra funding helps to restore a portion of the Bush administration’s cuts, but we will keep pressing to get even more assistance. When the price of oil goes up, it’s not just a disruption in global economics, it’s real money coming out of the pockets of average people, every single day. New Yorkers are being stretched too thin as it is -— we must take immediate steps to ease this growing financial burden. During extreme weather conditions, New York families should not have to choose between buying fuel to heat or cool their homes and buying food for themselves and their families.”

The release of $40 million brings the total amount of LIHEAP funds released to date to approximately $2.3 billion this fiscal year, including block grant allocations and the $450 million in contingency funds released to all states on Jan. 16. One-hundred and twenty-one million dollars remains available for unanticipated events in the emergency fund. States receiving a total of $40 million in emergency contingency funds Friday included Alaska, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont.

Individuals interested in applying for energy assistance should contact their local or state LIHEAP agency. For more information, go to http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/liheap/ or http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ocs/liheap/brochure/brochure.html.

Information on where to apply for LIHEAP assistance can also be obtained by calling the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance at 1-800-342-3009 or by visiting the OTDA website online at http://www.otda.state.ny.us/main/heap.